It's hard to believe that not that long ago, a woman on a daily run would be thought of as a novelty, and women's competitive long-distance running was basically non-existent. In the past fifty years, women's running has grown from a small group of trail blazers willing to challenge the established view that the female gender was too frail to run and race, to now, where the number of women in road races often outnumber men.

Many of these women are also mothers, defying the old notions that running was un-ladylike, unnatural and would damage a woman's uterus. Women runners at all levels, from elite Olympians to recreational runners continue to enjoy and excel at the sport after giving birth. As a mother, I've run thousands of miles, competed in a myriad of races, loving all of it, and the only injuries I've sustained could just as easily have happened to men. Women and men share many of the same reasons to run, but today is Mother's Day, so this column is about mothers who run.

Motherhood can be all-consuming with physical changes, sleep deprivation, and the often single minded focus that young children require. One look at road race age-group results show vast discrepancies between men and women in their 20s, 30s and 40s. Where men's results show close to a linear slowdown of times through the age groups, women's results can be all over the place; often, women in their forties outpace younger women. Fitting in consistent training during the years of pregnancy and raising young children can be very difficult, but many women manage to do it. And once the family is complete, many women turn to running with renewed motivation.

Mothers will often say that running is one of the few things they do just for themselves, a purpose that is separate from family or work. Local runner Kate MacGregor, who is currently training for her fourth marathon, told me that while she ran and was athletic in youth, somehow that part of life disappeared when work and family life took over. When she started running again as a mother of three, she found it helped her connect to new friends and to her younger self; running made her feel more like herself again. Becoming part of a community of other running mothers offers social and fitness time combined, and with very little time in a day to waste, the combination works for many. Running mothers don't tend to put off a run until tomorrow; you never know when flu or fever strikes and you are unable to leave the house for days.

When you get a group of runners together, inevitably, conversation will turn to marathon stories. Marathons are major events, and long enough that there are highs and lows, times when you are just cruising along, and times when pain can make it hard to focus on the finish. When you get a group of running mothers together, you'll get the marathon stories, but without a doubt, you'll also get the birth stories, and you can see the parallels. Training for a marathon, much like pregnancy, requires patience, attention to nutrition, and extra sleep, and even if you have run one before, you never fully know what you are getting into, as each race is unique. Maybe more and more mothers are running marathons because jumping into a project with many unknowns, some certainty of pain, and a great goal at the end is something we are well prepared for.

As parents, we try to serve as positive role models for our children. Being a runner speaks volumes about living a healthy, fit life. A dedicated runner will tackle all the ups and downs that come with the sport, and those lessons of resilience and patience won't be lost on the children. Local runner Polly Flagg told me that when her kids play in a sport or run a road race, it makes her feel that what she and her husband are working for is sinking in and that it is extra special to run races with her children.

I would like to wish a happy Mother's Day to all mothers, especially running moms, and to all the grandmothers (who may also run) who so generously babysit for us sowe can get out and run. Whether we will pass on our love of running to our children is hard to say; they will find their own way, as we have found ours. But, you never know. A few years ago, I was running a 5K with my young son. He was moving steadily, and I told him he was doing great, we were on a good pace. When I knew we were close to the finish, I looked at my watch and told him that if he could push a little more, he could set a new PR. I watched as he pursed his lips in determination, and took off, easily crossing the finish in his new record time, and with his name announced over the loud speaker. I followed a few seconds later, and saw him beaming, but I'm betting my smile was even bigger.

Running Notes: Congratulations to the 1,026 finishers of the Children's Museum of NH 5K; could this be the start of 1,000 or more runners for each of the Seacoast Series races? If you are looking for a local race next weekend, on May 20, there is the Spirit of Recovery 5K run/walk in Dover.

Nancy Eckerson writes about running for Foster's Sunday Citizen. You can reach her at nerunner1@comcast.net.